In this third part of our Windows XP tutorial, we will look at the taskbar and its functions. We will also touch on how to configure the taskbar to suit your needs.

Before you follow this tutorial you must read the terms of our disclaimer.

In part three:	Other related pages:
The Taskbar Overview. The Quick Launch Bar. The System Tray. Continue to Part 4 Back to course menu.	Changing the date/time in Win XP Changing themes in Win XP (these pages open in a new window)

If you have any trouble with any of the terms, see our computer dictionary.

The Windows XP Taskbar Overview

windows taskbar

In fig 1.1 shows a typical Windows XP Taskbar.

We have pointed out the areas of interest, these are explained below:

Start Button - The Start Button is used to access the Windows XP start menu (covered in part 2 of our windows xp tutorial).

Window Tabs - The Windows tabs are used to switch between any open windows (programs, folders, documents, etc). In our example we have 2 windows open (word and excel). You can switch between the windows by simpy clicking on the corresponding window tab, clicking a second time on the same tab will minimise the window.

Grouping Window Tabs - A nice feature of Windows XP is that, unlike previous versions of windows, when the taskbar fills up with window tabs it can group all files/windows within a single program into just one window tab. In other words, if you have 2 documents open in Word, you will only have one tab on the taskbar (instead of 2). You can then access each document by left clicking on the tab and selecting the file/window you want from the menu that appears. This feature can be switched off by right clicking on the taskbar, clicking on properties and then unchecking the box next to Group similar taskbar buttons.

System Tray - The system tray displays icons for programs that are loaded into memory, although not all programs place an icon in this tray. We will cover the system tray in detail later in this section.

The Quick Launch Bar

By default, Windows XP has the quick launch bar hidden, if you want to use the quick launch bar you need to activate it. To do this simply right click on the taskbar, hover the mouse pointer over toolbars and then put a tick in the box next to Quick Launch.

The Windows XP quick launch bar (see fig 1.2) provides direct access to your programs, files or folders with just one click. The quick launch bar is visible (by default) even when you have a window open.

When you first enable the quick launch bar there are normally a couple of icons visible:

- Show Desktop Icon - This icon is used to minimise all open windows to show the windows xp desktop, clicking again will restore the windows to their previous state.

- Internet Explorer Icon -This icon will open Microsoft's Internet Explorer browser.

Adding icons
It is very straight forward to add icons to the quick launch bar. Simply drag the icon of the program/file/folder over the quick launch bar and drop it (release the mouse button).

If you add or delete icons you can increase or decrease the size of the quick launch bar by moving the divider (see fig 1.2) left or right.

Deleting icons
It is also very easy to delete icons from the quick launch bar. Right click (click with the right hand mouse button) on the icon you want to delete and then select delete from the menu that appears.

note: - removing the icon will not uninstall the associated program/file/folder from your PC.

The System Tray

In the system tray you will find icons belonging to some of the programs that are currently running, as well as the clock.

To alter the clock see: Changing Date and Time in Win XP.

There are normally a couple of icons residing in the system tray. In our example (fig 1.3) we have 2 icons, your icons will depend on what programs you have running on your PC.

Some typical programs would be your firewall (if you have one), antivirus software, printer status monitors and some messenger programs.

When you install some software it will automatically set itself to load when you start your PC, when these programs are running they are using your computer's resources.

If there are any programs running that you don't need, for instance messenger programs, you can stop them running by right clicking and using their menu to close them.

If you want to stop a program loading when you first start your machine, either use the setting within the software itself or another option is to use the msconfig utility (we will cover msconfig in future sections).

note: - If you have a broadband or cable internet connection, then any firewalls and/or antivirus software should be left running. If you have a standard dial up connection then ensure your firewall and antivirus are running before you connect to the internet.

Windows XP Tutorial part 2

Windows XP Tutorial part 4

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